Hi whats going on? Recently i saw that many peopple split their back routine in two days. One day they train back thickness and the other they train back width. Same as chest but i would like it to be mentioned in a different topic. My question is quite simple. Which exercises are for developing thickness and which for width and how can i know if an exercise is for developing thickness or width ? I am asking it beacuse i want to try this split so i woill put more emphasis on my back generaly.

Thank you for your time

John

yea chris jones of POG is known for doing that. IMO, you can always combine thickness and width in the same workout. Rowing exercises seem to help more with width where as pulling exercises help you focus more on thickness. Heres my back workout that I did yesterday.

7 sets of T bar rows - 8 to 10 reps with only a 30 second break in between sets

5 sets of weighted pulls ups 5 to 7 reps with only a 30 second break

8 sets of superman rows 8 to 10 reps with obly a 30 second break

I agree with Rishi, I think you could combine the two if you wanted to.

As for the exercises to target width and thickness, Rishi was right on again. Another idea to focus on is that using a wide grip for exercises targets width and closer ones work on thickness.

For example, for width you could do wide grip pull ups, wide grip lat pulldown, even wide grip seated row.

I think T-Bar rows and bent over rows are really good for back thickness.

John here it goes buddy

Latissimus Dorsi aka Lats creates width (V-Taper) while the rhomboids and trapezius creates thickness

so i will disagree a bit with rishi as mostly pulling exercise will help you create width and mostly rowing exercise will help you create thickness but exceptions are present in these exercises with different grips so its debatable that which exercise exactly works which part of back

Basically horizontal pulling works on thickness. Vertical pulling allows for width but the concept drills down further than just this though. Close, underhand grips will emphasize thickness. Wide, overhand grips along with vigorous stretching will allow for more width. Due to the broad insertion of the latissimus dorsi, you also need to pull into many different areas of your torso to better hit specific fibers.

Exercise for width : Wide-Grip Pullups (good if weighted),Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns, Straight-Arm Pulldowns, V-Bar Pullups, V-Bar Pulldowns, dumbbell pullover (more or less its like straight arm pulldown it works for lats too as well as for chest, triceps, core, serratus)

Exerise for Thickness : Deadlifts, T Bar Rows,Close Grip Seated Cable Rows, One-Arm Dumbbell Row, Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows, Bent-Over Barbell Rows

Include Underhand (supinated) Lat pulldows, Underhand (supinated) pullups, wide-grip seated rows, hyperextension, overhand (pronated) barbell bent over row, underhand (supinated) bent over row

Hope it helps

Very helpfull!! Thank you very much! Biut i have a dissagreement here. I think that close grip pulls work more on your lats and wide grip pulls more on the rhomboids. Just like grips in the curls. Outer grips work the inner part etc.

I think I have mentioned this before but I really do not agree this back width and thickness style of training. It actually makes no sense on an anatomical level. Firstly, when people talk about back width they are talking about specifically training their lats. Your lats give you the appearence of looking wide as thats how they develop. You cannot specifically train your lats to be thick, its impossible. As for back thickness you are talking about the majority of the scapula retractors, depressors and shoulder extensors such as the rhomboids, mid, upper and lower traps, teres major and minor and of course your erector spinae.

When you train your back you should be hitting a variety of vertical and horizontal pulling motions from different angles eg a high horizontal pull, wide vertical pull. This way you ensuring you are getting full activation of all the back muscles.

John its very hard to tell that which exercise targets which part of muscle exactly so ofcourse its debatable cause of difference of opinion, the basic factor for overall development (width or thickness) of any muscle is hitting it with every angle and just feel each and every rep and in the end its just about performing whatever works for you.

I personally dont follow back width and back thickness routine separately, I train back on one day and just add 4-5 exercises (rowing and pulling) which hits back muscles from all angles.

Lets me put it in a different way, since we know back exercises are "pulling" exercises, when you are pulling anything perpendicular with respect to your body (like t- bar row, seated row, one-arm dumbbell row etc) will more likely to have emphasis on back thickness and when you are pulling weight almost parallel with respect to your body (like lat pulldowns, chinups, pullups, straight arm pulldown, etc) will more likely to have emphasis on back width.

As for close grip seated cable rows, it will activate your lats, trapezius, rhomboids, forearms, biceps and even deltoids as it is a compound exercise but still this exercise will have emphasis on back thickness.

Close Grip Seated Cable Row